Continental GT Discontinued in India: Royal Enfield Continental GT was recently discontinued from the Indian lineup. This was the first step to mark the beginning of Royal Enfield’s engine upgrade for GT variant.
Not just that, Thunderbird 500 now automatically becomes the present day flagship machine with Continental GT’s absence. Royal Enfield now has three active engines for India, with 499cc single cylinder motor being the most powerful of all.
Their new 411cc motor is exclusive to Himalayan while upcoming 648cc, twin cylinder motor will make its debut through Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650. Both of these will prove their ability to compete with every possible motorcycle on-sale in India under INR 10 lakh.
Official dealerships are not accepting bookings anymore while remaining stock will be cleared well before the entry of twin cylinder motorcycles. Continental GT 535 was never a darling among Royal Enfield fans.
It brought the most premium possible component list in 2013 but could not even come closer in terms of numbers with any of Royal Enfield motorcycle (except Himalayan in bad days).
Believe it or not, Himalayan could also see the same fate in coming years as buyers would love to see a reinforced version with the more powerful 648cc engine. Himalayan is about to complete two years in India.
Continental GT was also the most powerful motorcycle in RE lineup, producing nothing less than 29.1 BHP and 44 Nm from its 535cc, fuel injected motor. It was last priced at INR 2.11 lakh (Ex-showroom).
Continental GT 650, on the other hand, is powered by a 648cc, twin cylinder engine producing 47 HP at 7100 rpm and 52 Nm at 4000 rpm. This makes it good for a much better high end and still keeps the massive torque output alive at an accessible point.
A marginal increase in weight and braking performance, along with big engine, makes Continental GT 650 a star before its arrival. Royal Enfield is expected to price the new range of bikes competitively around INR 3.25-3.50 lakh (Ex-showroom).
